Jack to reveal Warriors budget

TRINIDAD AND Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special advisor Jack Austin Warner has promised to reveal the full details of the national football team’s pre-World Cup plans today, at a specially-arranged press conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Port of Spain. According to Warner, the scheduled warm-up match on March 1 will also be disclosed as well as the team’s agenda before the June 9-July 9 World Cup in Germany. “We have the match confirmed. We have also the whole programme confirmed,” said Warner on Friday last. “We have the staff confirmed. He continued, “we have the budget for the entire team. We also have the fees we have agreed to give to the players. All of which we shall reveal at a specially-called press conference.”

Warner also commented on Youth Affairs Minister Roger Boynes’ request for a detailed budget from the TTFF, for the team’s World Cup preparations. “The Sports Minister cannot be serious. I’ll say more of this at the press conference,” he said. Warner took time from his hectic schedule to witness the final session of the GOAL 2014 Project, which was staged at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, on Friday. “I want to lend support to this, physically and otherwise,” he said. “I feel that I have to come here and identify with the programme. “I want to specially thank the vice-president, under whose portfolio this falls, Rudy Thomas, as well as (TTFF technical director) Lincoln Phillips, for putting this together, and for finding the time to run it.

“From all reports it has been well-run, well-organised and this could only augur well for the future,” he continued. “What this has done is reduce the need to look for the players for the future. “We’ll have a database for the players, we’ll know where they are and I should add that it’ll mean as well that we’ll have this (programme) sustained over time,” Warner added. “This is not the end, this is the beginning and it has to continue,” Warner said. In a New Year’s message to the nation, Warner stated: “My simple wish is for the people of this country would demonstrate that they have faith in the team and the Football Federation and not come on board only when the team is successful. “I could understand this is being done by the general public. I don’t agree with it but I think that, members who, in some way, (are involved) in football, either directly or indirectly, should have more faith in the team,” he said.